Logline
Who would win in a fight—Ajahnis Charley or Amanda Cordner? How ’bout a dance-off?
Synopsis
If there’s one thing actor Amanda Cordner will not do, it’s shrink—not their size or their aura. Ajahnis and Amanda talk auditioning while Black and not fitting in—to clothes or spaces that weren’t designed for you. It’s giving unapologetic self-acceptance!
About Amanda Cordner (They/them)
Title: Actor, playwright
Style: Minimalist-maximalist masc, sensitive butch style
Amanda Cordner? Yeah, you’ve seen them. They lit up the screen as 7ven on CBC Gem’s Sort Of, earning two Canadian Screen Award noms, and appearing in support roles on TallBoyz, The Expanse, Baroness von Sketch Show and Station Eleven. Cordner’s the full package: theatre artist, singer, dancer, clown and yes, a fierce Brazilian jiu-jitsu enthusiast, too. A self-described body-positive minimalist-maximalist, they co-founded the theatre company madonnanera in 2017 and co-created the play Body So Fluorescent—a bold, buzzed-about unpacking of Blackness, otherness and friendship. It toured North America, then levelled up into an award-winning short film. They also played a lead role in The Sender (part of Cheryl Foggo’s contribution to 21 Black Futures on CBC Gem). Cordner doesn’t just act, they move culture.
Logline
Ajahnis enables Bren D’Souza’s use of psychedelic… prints! Because that’s what besties do!!
Synopsis
From rosaries to rhinestones, Bren D’Souza knows how to accessorize. Ajahnis takes a trip into Bren’s fluid, psychedelic, sequinned world. For legal reasons, we DON’T mean that kind of trip.
About Bren D’Souza (They/them)
Title: Comedian
Style: Acid grunge, post-punk party wear
Comedian, actor and Beyonce’s fan-machine’s favourite they/them, Bren is stylish, suave, smart, and rebelliously idiosyncratic. Best known for their appearances on CTV’s Roast Battle Canada and dismantling the binary of dive-bars across Ontario, they’ve also been featured at festivals like NXNE, We’re Funny That Way and JFL42. Notably, Bren has been nominated for multiple awards, everything from the I Heart Jokes Award for Newcomer Comic to the Canadian Screen Award for Best Ensemble Performance in a Variety or Sketch Comedy Program or Series. Their debut comedy album, Clever, Hip, and Scary!, received rave reviews for its dark and tender portrayal of a young, queer, racialized comedian trying to find themself.
Written & Directed by
Ajahnis Charley
Producer
Sherien Barsoum
Executive Producer
Chanda Chevannes
Editor
Sabrina Budiman
Director of Photography
Gayle Ye
Original Music by
Kokophonix
Featuring
EPISODE 1
D.J. Mausner
EPISODE 2
Chelazon Leroux
EPISODE 3
Amanda Cordner
EPISODE 4
Meg MacKay
EPISODE 5
Bren D’Souza
EPISODE 6
Ajahnis Charley
Line Producer
Mark Wilson
Production Manager
Janine Heath
Senior Production Coordinator
Adrianna Marling
Production Coordinators
Justine Chevarie-Cossette
Danny Mounla
Omorose Osagie
Eponine Young
Production Assistants
Lacey Artemis
Catharine Horsley
Q’mal Labad-Workman
Production Administrator
Victoria Angell
Administrative Assistant
Elana Emer
Camera Operators
Val Bonifaz
Emily Zhang
1st Assistant Cameras
Dina Attalla
Laura King
Graeme McArthur
2nd Assistant Camera
Princess Zoe Saroma
Gaffers
Khanh Tudo
Satrio Prahasto
Best Electric
Tarneem Allati
Key Grip
Hayden Salter
Grips
Charlie Bamforth
Evan Jones
BTS & Stills Photographers
Danny Oh
Billy Pan
Adrianna Marling
Production Designer
Helen Kotsonis-Jay
Art Director
Patrick Gauthier
Key Props
Seka Morris
Set Decorator
Rhiannon Dunets
Assistant Set Decorators
Jasmine Asiedu-Anguah
Jay McPherson
Luke Peters
Robin Sharp
Carpentry & Construction
Hotsets Film Ltd
Hair & Makeup Artist
Sadé Tuitt
Costume Designer
Lyndsay Reader
Wardrobe Supervisor
Hollie Phipps
Advising Director
Alicia K. Harris
1st Assistant Director
Drew McLean
3rd Assistant Director
Cowin Poon
Sound Recordist
Shalini Agarwal
Digital Imaging Technicians
Damen Brar
Andrew Lea
Studio, Lighting & Grip
Masterkey Culture
Catering
Chef’s Table
Waste Management
Green Sustainability Solutions
Post-Production Coordinator
Vaishnavi Sambhus
Vertical Version Editor
Edwin Janzen
Technical Coordinator
Luc Binette
Post-Production Support Technicians
Kevin Riley
Phillip Hawkes
Color Services
Studio Feather
Colorist
Tricia Hagoriles
Color Assistant
Ralph Pineda
Color Producer
Hannah Stone
Executive Producer for Studio Feather
Sara Windrim
Picture Facility
Urban Post Production
Post Producer for Urban Post Production
Sarah Elliott
Online Editor
Jessica Goebell
Re-Recording Mixer
Lucas Prokaziuk
Sound Supervisor
Lucas Prokaziuk
SFX Editor
Cait MacIntosh
Graphics & Title Design
Josh Kaplan
Transcription
Difuze Inc.
Senior Marketing Advisor
Laurianne Désormiers
Marketing Project Manager
Geneviève Bérard
Marketing Coordinator
Michelle Rozon
Publicist
Jennifer Mair
Legal Counsel
Peter Kallianiotis
Music Supervisor
Tiffany Su
Archival Researcher
João Vitor Corrêa
Additional Archival Research
Rachael Ransom
Archival Materials Provided by
EPISODE 1
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds via Getty Images
Anosh McAdam
Associated Press Photo/Jae C. Hong
Charlie Sanchez
Charly Triballeau via Getty Images
DJ Mausner
Dropout TV
EFootage
Entertainment Pictures/Alamy/All Canada Photos
Frank Micelotta via Getty Images
Grinberg, Paramount, Pathe Newsreels via Getty Images
HOME BOX OFFICE/Album Archivo/All Canada Photos
Joe Raedle via Getty Images© Keegan Stewart
Lauren Vandenbrook
Luke Wink-Moran
Rodin Eckenroth via Getty Images
Salem Kaylin Moran
shaunl via Getty Images
Sipa USA/All Canada Photos
ZUMA, ZUMA Press Inc./Alamy/All Canada Photos
EPISODE 2
CBC Archive Sales
Chelazon Leroux
Courtesy of Blue Ant Studios and World of Wonder Productions ©2022 DR CANADA
THREE PRODUCTIONS INC., used with permission
Ilona Varley
NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photograph of Dorland McKay, courtesy of University of Winnipeg Archive and Albert McLeod fonds
Photograph of Billy Merasty, c. 1993, Photograph by and courtesy of Lita
Fontaine, courtesy of University of Winnipeg Archives and Albert McLeod fonds
Stock media provided by jewhyte / Pond5
EPISODE 3
Amanda Cordner
CBC Archive Sales
Dahlia Katz
Getty Images
Haley Garnett
Ifnm Press/Alamy/All Canada Photos
Jeremy Mimnagh
Jim Feng via Getty Images
Kat Webber
Katrina Thorn
Lyon Smith
“Me, Again” directed by Kim Albright, Canadian Film Centre
Ron Bull via Getty Images
Samuel Engelking
Sort Of footage courtesy of Sphere Media Distribution
Sort Of Season 1 Still, courtesy of Sphere Media Distribution, Photographer: Keri Anderson
Sort Of Season 2 Still, courtesy of Sphere Media Distribution, 7ven (Amanda Cordner) and Sabi (Bilal Baig) Photographer: Jasper Savage
Stock media provided by BlackBoxGuild / Pond5
Vivien Killilea via Getty Images
EPISODE 4
Footage Courtesy of Just For Laughs
Meg MacKay
Miguel Rivas – Host and Executive Producer, HOT GLOBE
Stock media provided by mickeB / Pond5
WCF footage courtesy of Frantic Films
EPISODE 5
Bren D’Souza
Footage Courtesy of Just For Laughs
Freddie
Hulton Archive via Getty Images
Stephen Shugerman via Getty Images
Roast Battle Canada materials provided courtesy of Just for Entertainment Group Inc., Bell Media Inc. and Paramount Global Content Distribution. All rights reserved.
EPISODE 6
Ajahnis Charley
Classic Picture Library, Classic Picture Library/Alamy/All Canada Photos
Dahlia Katz
Footage Courtesy of Just For Laughs
John Paillé
Kate Dalton
Mary Crandall
Miguel Rivas – Host and Executive Producer, HOT GLOBE
Materials provided courtesy of The Social © BELL MEDIA INC. All rights reserved
OYA Black Arts Coalition
Smith Archive/Alamy Stock Photo/Alamy/All Canada Photos
“Suze”
Written and Directed by Linsey Stewart & Dane Clark
Courtesy of Wildling Pictures Inc.
Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Wade Hudson
Additional Archival Materials
EPISODE 1
Fatal Violence Against Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming People in the United States: 2013-2025 Counts and Other Statistics/Human Rights Campaign Foundation/ Charleigh Floh/ Tari Hanneman
Miguel Arenillas
Prom Dates, Hulu/The Walt Disney Company/Kim O. Nguyen
Trans communities face deepening violence and erasure in US, report says/Gay Community News/ Sarah Creighton Keogh
Trans Dudes of LA/TBOY Wrestling
Trump’s executive actions curbing transgender rights focus on ‘gender ideology’/NPR/Danielle Kurtzleben
EPISODE 2
George Wharton James/University of California Libraries/MSN
Photographic Negatives of Native American Delegations and Archaeology of the Southwestern United States, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
EPISODE 3
La Senza Girl
Magic City
North York Mirror
Reitmans
Welcome to Vaughn City Sign, Will/Flickr
EPISODE 6
Station Eleven/Paramount Television Studios/Pacesetter Productions/Tractor Beam/HBO
Topline/Shaftesbury Inc./Romeo Candido
Set Art
EPISODE 2
Chelazon Leroux
Native Canadian Centre of Toronto
EPISODE 3
Ashley Devereux
Chloe Dukes
EPISODE 4
Deanna Musgrave, “Kyma 3” (2009)
Jay Soule/Chippewar
EPISODE 5
GGGgrimes
Dakota Ray Hebert
EPISODE 6
Ryan Underdown
Music
“oh baby”
Written by James Murphy
Performed by LCD Soundsystem
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By arrangement with Sony Music Entertainment (Canada)
EPISODE 1
“No Talk”
Written by Kokophonix & Maya Killtron
Performed by Maya Killtron & Kokophonix
“Filtered Grand Piano”
Written by Daniel Victor Snaith
Performed by Caribou
Courtesy of Merge Records
By arrangement with Bank Robber Music
“Falling”
Written by Daniel Victor Snaith
Performed by Daphni
Courtesy of Jiaolong
By arrangement with Bank Robber Music
“Cloudy”
Written by Daniel Victor Snaith
Performed by Daphni
Courtesy of Jiaolong
By arrangement with Bank Robber Music
“AA BOUQUET FOR YOUR 180 FACE”
Written by Saya Gray and Lucian Gray
Performed by Saya Gray
Courtesy of Dirty Hit
By arrangement with A&G Sync
EPISODE 2
“Ima Read (Mao Remix)”
Written by Njena Jarvis and Ojay Morgan
Performed by Njena Reddd Foxxx and Zebra Katz
Courtesy of ZFK Records
“Ravi”
Written by Daniel Victor Snaith
Performed by Caribou
Courtesy of Merge Records
By arrangement with Bank Robber Music
“Redfoot (feat. Fawn Wood)”
Written by Dan General and Fawn Wood
Performed by Shub and Fawn Wood
Courtesy of Shub Music
“The Circle One (Abstract)”
Written by Derek Simpson and Joshua Tarantino
Performed by Derek Simpson
Courtesy of Trailing Twelve and Low Profile Publishing
“Dark at the Helm”
Written by Sarah Houle and Shane Ghostkeeper
Performed by Ghostkeeper
Courtesy of Victory Pool Records
EPISODE 3
“Cloud Song”
Written by Daniel Victor Snaith
Performed by Caribou
Courtesy of Merge Records
By arrangement with Bank Robber Music
“heat death”
Written by Aya Sinclair
Performed by aya
Courtesy of Hyperdub
EPISODE 4
“SHELL ( OF A MAN )”
Written and performed by Saya Gray
Courtesy of Dirty Hit
By arrangement with A&G Sync
“Magpie”
Written by Daniel Victor Snaith
Performed by Caribou
Courtesy of Merge Records
By arrangement with Bank Robber Music
“EMPATHY 4 BETHANY”
Written and performed by Saya Gray
Courtesy of Dirty Hit
By arrangement with A&G Sync
“Posters”
Written by Trevor Powers
Performed by Youth Lagoon
Courtesy of Fat Possum
EPISODE 5
“Sister”
Written by Daniel Victor Snaith
Performed by Caribou
Courtesy of Merge Records
By arrangement with Bank Robber Music
“Like I Loved You”
Written by Daniel Victor Snaith
Performed by Caribou
Courtesy of Merge Records
By arrangement with Bank Robber Music
“This Space”
Written by Kokophonix
Performed by Tristan Armstrong & Kokophonix
EPISODE 6
“Roll the dice”
Written by Henriette Sandberg Motzfeldt and Anne Catharina Stoltenberg
Performed by Smerz
Courtesy of Escho
By arrangement with Terrorbird Media
“But I do”
Written by Henriette Sandberg Motzfeldt and Anne Catharina Stoltenberg
Performed by Smerz
Courtesy of Escho
By arrangement with Terrorbird Media
“Feisty”
Written by Henriette Sandberg Motzfeldt and Anne Catharina Stoltenberg
Performed by Smerz
Courtesy of Escho
By arrangement with Terrorbird Media
“You got time and I got money”
Written by Henriette Sandberg Motzfeldt and Anne Catharina Stoltenberg
Performed by Smerz
Courtesy of Escho
By arrangement with Terrorbird Media
Special Thanks
Zach
Jordan
Sarah
Anthony
Mom
© 2026 National Film Board of Canada